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Hampstead resident works with Kenyan orphanage to provide career training

Students at Huruma Children's Home in Ngong, Kenya. Photo courtesy of Huruma Children's Home

By Amanda GreeneWilmington Faith & Values

Published: Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 9:24 a.m.

For the past 16 years, Hampstead resident Tom Spencer has been drawn again and again to a corner of Kenya in the Ngong Hills. An orphanage there, Huruma Children's Home, about 16 miles from Nairobi has, quite simply, captured his heart.

Spencer has traveled to Kenya and Tanzania on safari since 1972, but his mission work began there with Huruma.

He's visited there so many times teaching the children and bringing church groups and individuals on photographic and cultural safaris that the children know him as "Uncle Tom."

Spencer sponsors two of the children, Agnes and Moses, for their higher education and he visits every 18 months to check in and help teach the children.

At Spencer's urging, the founder of the orphanage, Mama Zipporah Kamau, traveled to Wilmington for a visit and to speak at area churches in 2001. For Spencer, serving at Huruma has been about fulfilling a layman's call to Christian service.

"You don't really understand your Christian identity until you get into Christian service. That's what Christ did, he died to serve us," Spencer said. "That's who we're supposed to follow as our model."

After all these years being a role model for the young children at Huruma, Spencer realized they would need something more if they were going to make it outside the orphanage once they graduate high school.

"They get all the religion they need in Africa. It's a religious place," Spencer said. "But after age 18, and they leave, where do they go?"

The question nagged him, so he and Kamau put their heads together and founded the Kazi program a year ago. Spencer suggested the name Kazi since it means "work" or "career" in Swahili.

A group of 13 students ages 15-18 have already completed the first year of the program. A second group is about to begin the program.

In Kazi, the students take an online test that tells them where their interests connect with possible careers. Then, local Kenyan safari director George Gituku coordinates finding Kenyan mentors in each field to encourage the students to get the highest grades to accomplish their career goals.

In his youth, Gituku benefited from scholarships from the International Children's Fund for his college education, "so he has a heart for this," Spencer added.

"The kids were amazed by the test and how fast the results came back. Several of them said, ‘Uncle Tom, this is magic,'?" he said, smiling. "But this is headed toward getting their sponsors to think about still sending money after high school for college or university."

About 80 percent of the students in the program have international sponsors, Spencer said, emphasizing that the role of the local Kenyan mentors isn't monetary but voluntary guidance.

"These kids are orphans. They don't get to hear their parents talk about their jobs," he said. "These mentors become the parent model, and Kazi becomes the bridge between the closed, safe orphanage environment and the real world. If they get someone who's a professional, successful Kenyan coming in and talking about what they do, they're setting an example for them."

The mentors in the program so far are bankers, businessmen, accountants, managers and pilots.

As an incentive for getting high grades in their high school courses, the program gives a Kazi Moto (hot worker) prize to the highest-achieving male and female each school term. Outside financial sponsors pay for the students' technical or university schooling after high school graduation.

Excelling in their classes is key, since Kenyans must pass a national exam to continue to higher education. Spencer said the program's coordinator, Anne Waithera, has told him the children's grades all rose last term. The orphanage's founder has also seen an improvement in her students' drive to succeed.

"Some of them are very creative. Some are leaders. Some are good at marketing, or (good) thinkers, encouragers, organizers and even helpers," Waithera said. "It seems that as I age it gets easier to see the wonderful traits in my children. I plead with them to be careful, for this is a golden opportunity God has given them."

A workers at Huruma named Caroline wrote about the program in Huruma's January newsletter.

"It helps our children network and interact with other people in the lines of work they are interested in and also have an insight of what lies ahead," she said. "Our prayer is that God will bless Uncle Tom for his unconditional support because we honestly need each other to build Huruma."

As for Spencer, he's planning a fall trip to Huruma to check on this next group of Kazi kids and see how the first group is progressing.

<p>For the past 16 years, Hampstead resident Tom Spencer has been drawn again and again to a corner of Kenya in the Ngong Hills. An orphanage there, Huruma Children's Home, about 16 miles from Nairobi has, quite simply, captured his heart. </p><p>Spencer has traveled to Kenya and Tanzania on safari since 1972, but his mission work began there with Huruma.</p><p>He's visited there so many times teaching the children and bringing church groups and individuals on photographic and cultural safaris that the children know him as "Uncle Tom."</p><p>Spencer sponsors two of the children, Agnes and Moses, for their higher education and he visits every 18 months to check in and help teach the children.</p><p>At Spencer's urging, the founder of the orphanage, Mama Zipporah Kamau, traveled to Wilmington for a visit and to speak at area churches in 2001. For Spencer, serving at Huruma has been about fulfilling a layman's call to Christian service.</p><p>"You don't really understand your Christian identity until you get into Christian service. That's what Christ did, he died to serve us," Spencer said. "That's who we're supposed to follow as our model."</p><p>After all these years being a role model for the young children at Huruma, Spencer realized they would need something more if they were going to make it outside the orphanage once they graduate high school.</p><p>"They get all the religion they need in Africa. It's a religious place," Spencer said. "But after age 18, and they leave, where do they go?" </p><p>The question nagged him, so he and Kamau put their heads together and founded the Kazi program a year ago. Spencer suggested the name Kazi since it means "work" or "career" in Swahili.</p><p>A group of 13 students ages 15-18 have already completed the first year of the program. A second group is about to begin the program. </p><p>In Kazi, the students take an online test that tells them where their interests connect with possible careers. Then, local Kenyan safari director George Gituku coordinates finding Kenyan mentors in each field to encourage the students to get the highest grades to accomplish their career goals. </p><p>In his youth, Gituku benefited from scholarships from the International Children's Fund for his college education, "so he has a heart for this," Spencer added.</p><p>"The kids were amazed by the test and how fast the results came back. Several of them said, 'Uncle Tom, this is magic,'?" he said, smiling. "But this is headed toward getting their sponsors to think about still sending money after high school for college or university." </p><p>About 80 percent of the students in the program have international sponsors, Spencer said, emphasizing that the role of the local Kenyan mentors isn't monetary but voluntary guidance. </p><p>"These kids are orphans. They don't get to hear their parents talk about their jobs," he said. "These mentors become the parent model, and Kazi becomes the bridge between the closed, safe orphanage environment and the real world. If they get someone who's a professional, successful Kenyan coming in and talking about what they do, they're setting an example for them."</p><p>The mentors in the program so far are bankers, businessmen, accountants, managers and pilots.</p><p>As an incentive for getting high grades in their high school courses, the program gives a Kazi Moto (hot worker) prize to the highest-achieving male and female each school term. Outside financial sponsors pay for the students' technical or university schooling after high school graduation.</p><p>Excelling in their classes is key, since Kenyans must pass a national exam to continue to higher education. Spencer said the program's coordinator, Anne Waithera, has told him the children's grades all rose last term. The orphanage's founder has also seen an improvement in her students' drive to succeed.</p><p>"Some of them are very creative. Some are leaders. Some are good at marketing, or (good) thinkers, encouragers, organizers and even helpers," Waithera said. "It seems that as I age it gets easier to see the wonderful traits in my children. I plead with them to be careful, for this is a golden opportunity God has given them."</p><p>A workers at Huruma named Caroline wrote about the program in Huruma's January newsletter. </p><p>"It helps our children network and interact with other people in the lines of work they are interested in and also have an insight of what lies ahead," she said. "Our prayer is that God will bless Uncle Tom for his unconditional support because we honestly need each other to build Huruma."</p><p>As for Spencer, he's planning a fall trip to Huruma to check on this next group of Kazi kids and see how the first group is progressing. </p><p>"This is my legacy," he added, "and I couldn't be happier."</p><p>Contact <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9908"><b>Amanda Greene</b></a>, community manger for Wilmington Faith & Values (WilmingtonFAVS.com) at Amanda.Greene@ReligionNews.com.</p>